Simple as That
by RydenStewart
Summary: Robin's feelings have always been clear. The Titans were his friends, his best friends... maybe a little more in Starfire's case. Simple as that. Suddenly though, his view changes, and things aren't so simple anymore. RobxRae Two-Shot
1. Simple as That

**- Simple as That - **

Things change, Robin knew. He'd just, never expected them to catch him off guard as much as they did. But of course, that's what change does best. Surprise you.

It had started off simple. They were friends. They were all friends. They found each other. They fit together. They fought together. It was simple.

Then he started getting these... feelings, for Starfire. And he was confused, and a little bit afraid. Raven had been there for him, behind the scenes, listening to his problems, his worries... his feelings of confusion and insecurity. She'd always been a good listener.

Beast Boy was his best friend. Good for a laugh. Good for a good time.

Cyborg was his best friend. Good for listening, for a period of time. Better for man-talk; about sports and cars and bikes and such things.

Raven was his best friend. Always at hand with advice, for anything. Always there with an open mind, and a listening ear.

Star was his best friend. She was fun, and bright, and cheerful and he'd been drawn to that. Well, the kiss when they'd first met hadn't hurt.

But suddenly things were _changing_.

Starfire was fun. She was great for a laugh. Always so innocent and oblivious and curious. But he wanted more than just, hanging around, and teaching and basically babysitting this alien princess. He wanted to have an intelligent conversation with someone. He wanted to kick back and read a book without anyone interrupting, while still enjoying someone else's company. He wanted to hang out with someone, without having to fill every second with chatter and talk. He started wanting _Raven_.

It wasn't that strange, he told himself. They were friends. Best friends. He didn't hang out with Raven that often, and that needed to change. Raven didn't mind. She just accepted him with the same strong and silent grace that she always did. They were just friends. Simple as that. He still had feelings for Starfire - she was beautiful, funny, powerful, why shouldn't he? He just wanted to relate to his other friends a little bit more. Simple.

And that's how life was, for a little while - with Robin spending his time as equally as possible with his four best friends.

* * *

><p>Slade. It was an obsession, for the longest time, and then he was gone. Dead. Thanks to Terra the Betrayer.<p>

Still, Robin felt restless, he was _so sure_ that Slade was up to something. He always was. Always. Even if he was dead.

* * *

><p>Robin was embarrassed about the whole 'hallucination' fiasco. His obsession had driven him into madness, it was stupid, and narrow-minded of him. But at least it could never be said that he couldn't keep his focus.<p>

On the plus side, he felt _closer_ to Raven. She had all these walls, built up around herself, but by entering his mind - she'd not only exposed him, she'd also exposed a piece of herself. They shared a bond. Something special.

A connection through which he could feel her. Sense her emotions to a point. Not _feel them_ exactly, but sort of _sense_ what sort of emotions she might be experiencing. Not complete knowledge, but an idea of sorts. It was amazing.

He could feel her smiling inwardly, at Beast Boy's attempts at humour, and his 'fights' with Cyborg.

He could feel her rage when one of the team would get hurt during a fight.

He could feel the battle she had with herself, every time she used her powers, not to lose control.

It was eye-opening to say the least. And he started noticing her more because of it. Looking for outward hints, to her inner feelings.

The minuscule twitch of a lip, when she was feeling happy, or humorous. The vein that pulsed in the side of her head when she was feeling angry, or frustrated. Her eyes seemed to twinkle a little less, and her posture was a little more slumped when she was feeling sad. She was extremely protective of her friends. Though she'd never tell, secretly, Raven loved cats; she thought they were cute, and her eyes would soften, just a little, when she saw them. Her favourite flowers were snowdrops and forget-me-nots, because Robin noticed her gaze linger a little on those whenever they passed a florist. Blue, he could understand a little, since it was her favourite colour, but the white of the snowdrops made him smile. Raven wasn't as dark as she pretended to be.

He started hanging around with her more, talking to her more; discovering more about her. As much as he could. And why shouldn't he? She was his best friend, but also a mystery. Shouldn't he discover as much about her as possible? They were best friends. Simple as that.

* * *

><p>Robin was worried. Raven was acting strange. She was avoiding him and the rest of the team. Well, more than usual. And it something to do with 'today'. What was so special about today?<p>

He hadn't really _encouraged_ anything. He'd just let slip to Beast Boy that Raven had some private files under lock and key in a certain area of the computer's memory. It wasn't _his _fault that Beast Boy was so nosy, because _he_ respected Raven's privacy. He really did. Honestly though, he was a little hurt that she hadn't told him it was her birthday. He could have gotten something. They could have celebrated. They could still celebrate.

All he had to do was _mention_ to Starfire that it was an earthly tradition to celebrate the day of birth with games and cake. She would do the rest.

* * *

><p>Why was Raven so angry? He'd just wanted to have a party, for <em>her. <em>Because it was her birthday. Wasn't that supposed to be special? What was going on?

She'd just blown up the whole living room, and Cyborg's special cake with three types of icing, and stormed out.

"Raven! What's wrong?" He called out, running after her.

"I just don't like parties," she muttered, a little anger still in her voice. Anger and... fear? Ridiculous, right?

"It's more than that, I can tell," Robin told her. "We have a bond, remember. You've been inside my mind. Let me inside yours."

"Robin, you know me better than anyone. You should know there are places in my mind where you _can't go_. Where no one should _ever_ go."

"I'm willing to try if you'll-"

"I can't," she interupted.

"Tell me what's going on," Robin pleaded. He was worried. This wasn't what Raven was like. She was running away from something.

"Just-" Raven stressed. Robin suspected that if she had less control, she would rub her forehead in frustration. "Trust me. If you knew anything about the day of my birth, you'd know there's _nothing_ to celebrate."

Robin watched, helpless, as she walked away.

* * *

><p>"NOOO!" Robin sat up in bed. That was Raven's scream. She was on the other side of the wall, but in a different hallway, and he raced around the tower to her bedroom door, banging on it desperately. He was dripping with sweat and half mad with concern by the time she'd opened the door.<p>

"I heard you scream," he began. He was hoping to get some answers, but at that moment, the alarm went off.

"Trouble," Raven said, and she pushed past him. She'd spoken in her regular voice, a soft, melodic sound. And it scared him, because that meant that she wasn't fully in control of herself. Robin could hear it in her voice, as well as feel it through their bond. Something was up.

* * *

><p>Robin gasped, and then realised that the cog had stopped rolling towards him. Actually, everything had stopped, and Raven was next to him, urging him to get up.<p>

"Raven?" He rasped, voice horse from screaming at Slade and throat choking a little in fear and confusion.

Raven looked up, and Robin followed her gaze. Slade looked down on them, an amused glint in his eye. Raven swept her cloak up and enveloped him in her shadow-like power. They teleported to somewhere in the middle of a street. Everything there was frozen as well.

Robin turned on her. "_What_ is going on? Why is Slade back? Where did he get those powers? How did you stop _time_?"

"I- I'm not sure," Raven admitted hesitantly. And Robin knew he was in trouble, because Raven _never_ did _anything_ hesitantly. She always knew what she was doing, or at least how to bluff her way through. Robin felt his gut clench. They were in trouble. "I never wanted this day to come, and when it did, I just wanted it to stop." She held her hand to her chest. "I guess I got my wish," she whispered.

"What is happening?" Robin gaped at her back.

"It's my birthday," Raven murmured. It might have been a joke, to lighten the mood a little. But at the same time, it was a deadly serious truth.

Slade appeared at the top of a nearby building. He spotted them, and jumped down. Robin pushed her behind him. "Raven, RUN!"

For once, she listened to him.

Robin didn't know if that was good or bad.

* * *

><p>Robin swooped through the sky to save her, of course. That's the way it worked. But something had changed, in the few minutes he'd been apart from her. Slade had torn away her cape, and ripped her leotard to shreds, leaving her in only scraps of material that covered her hips and chest. Her hair had somehow grown as long as Starfire's, and Robin thought that she looked beautiful like that.<p>

Softer, maybe, without the sharp points that her bob would form. It made her look more vulnerable.

Looking at her like that, Robin vowed to protect her. Nothing would ever hurt her again, he promised himself. Simple as that.

* * *

><p>They'd thrown her another party. Patching together everything she'd ripped apart earlier. Of course, when she came out of her room, her hair was cut again - leaving her looking as harsh and cold as ever. But Robin didn't see it. He could still sense the softness, and decided that sometime in the future, he would let her know how beautiful she looked with long hair.<p>

In the end, her condition for having the party was ice cream. Robin knew it wasn't really that, but it was always fun to pick out the moments where Raven was trying to be funny. She was so subtle sometimes it was difficult, or other times she'd be so bluntly sarcastic that he'd have a hard time smothering his chuckles. These were the things he loved about her, and suddenly nothing was simple anymore. All thanks to Raven's 15th birthday.

* * *

><p><strong>So this is it so far - please review. I might keep going later if you like it - and add a bit more to it (an AU post 'the End' maybe?)<strong>

**Let me know what you think with that little button just below this _^**


	2. New Beginnings

**I forgot the disclaimer last time so: I don't own. If I did, Rob and Rae would be together. **

**- to all the people who fav'ed and reviewed, thank you so much. I felt loved, and therefore decided to add extra. :) I hope you like it!**

* * *

><p><strong>- The End Comes Too Quickly - <strong>

Looking back, he should have known. It was obvious. And yet somehow, he had completely missed it.

* * *

><p>Raven woke early on occasion. Just not often. So he was mildly surprised when he found her on the rooftop that morning, but he hadn't really thought much of it.<p>

"Anything's possible." He had told her, smiling like an insane person. At the time, he had no idea how true his words would be.

"You always so cheery this early?" He could sense her disbelief, and some kind of underlying tension in her words, but had dismissed it as part of Raven's usual cynicism.

"Pretty much," he'd always been the optimistic type. "Looks like it's going to be a beautiful day."

"Yeah." Raven's voice was flat, but the sunrise was so beautiful that Robin chose to ignore it. That was his mistake.

* * *

><p>"It's <em>just<em> Plasmus," Raven had sighed in relief. Beast Boy replied with an immature quip, as per usual, but Robin frowned, even while attacking the monster.

Why would Raven be _relieved_ that there was any type of villain in the city? Did this have anything to do with the pancakes worse than Starfire's 'pudding of friendship'? And what about her suggestion to 'hang out'?

These thoughts were wiped from his mind as Plasmus launched a tanker towards him. After that, Robin concentrated solely on the fight.

* * *

><p>Beast Boy found a lucky penny. It wasn't anything special, but no one seemed to notice Raven's overreaction. She spun around, powers at the ready, and didn't calm down until BB started dancing.<p>

But Robin noticed. And it worried him. It was the same sensation that he'd felt on Raven's birthday, except this time it was buried better.

She was hiding something.

* * *

><p>"Ok Raven, what gives?" Robin couldn't stand it. She was being too weird. "Pancakes, pizza, stankball, toenails?"<p>

"Yeah!" Beast Boy interjected. "And she hasn't called me stupid all day! Did someone replace Raven with a Raven-Robot?"

Something was definitely up. She wasn't a robot, but Robin still couldn't quite put his finger on it.

* * *

><p>The end of the world came faster than he'd thought. They'd fought with everything they had, but it wasn't enough.<p>

Raven was gone.

He'd broken his vow.

Trigon had won.

* * *

><p>He went into hell for her. He fought <em>with<em> Slade for her.

She was so tiny. So fragile looking.

And she didn't remember him.

He recognized her straight away. How could he not? The purple hair was a dead give away. But the look in her eyes - the emotion, the fear, the uncertainty... it unsettled him. Raven wasn't supposed to show emotion. It was something ingrained in her character. Yet somehow, seeing this vulnerable side of her, Robin began to care for her even more, because he knew. She'd always been this frightened, this lonely, battling against a father that she dared not speak of.

Battling with a burden that she dared not share.

But now it was his turn to help her.

"I'm lost."

"But I found you." And it was true.

* * *

><p>Raven was amazing. She saved the world single-handedly, returning everything to normal.<p>

"Unbelievable," Cyborg gaped.

"No it wasn't." Raven smiled. It was a beautiful smile. "Somebody believed." She threw her arms around Robin, and he savoured this moment of warmth, when she dared share herself with them. With him.

"Welcome back." Robin grinned.

Of course, Beast Boy had to go and ruin the moment.

* * *

><p>Cyborg's logic - we saved the world. Therefore, we deserve french toast.<p>

Robin smiled to himself while Starfire, BB and Cyborg messed around with the food, then turned back to the pad in his hands. There was no trace of Slade anywhere, but he knew that he had not simply died. Slade was too persistent for that.

"Slade got away?" Raven appeared beside him, silent as always. When he glanced up, he was a little disappointed that she'd cut her hair again, but at the same time he felt a surge of relief that she was still the same person he knew. He wasn't sure how well he'd handle great changes in her, when she was the one thing he wanted to forever remain constant in his life.

"If he ever shows his face again, we'll be ready," he assured her.

"How do you do it Robin?" She asked, her tone flat - not giving anything away.

"Do what?"

"Keep hoping," she turned to the window, searching the horizon as though it might hold the answers she sought. "After everything that happened - everything I did - how did you still manage to hope it could all work out?"

"Because of you," he answered truthfully. Raven looked up at him, startled, but he pressed on. "You don't realise it Raven, but you're actually the most hopeful person I've ever met. From the day you were born, they said you were evil; that you were created to do unspeakable things. But _you_ wished for more, you dared to hope that you could be a hero." He knew he was being cheesy, and sappy - but he wanted to tell her how he felt, and who she was. She didn't need to hide it anymore - she was a good person. And he loved her for it.

* * *

><p>He found her after the celebratory party, sitting on the roof, and watching the sunset.<p>

"Contemplating your new beginning?" He joked.

"Sort of," she offered him a smile, one of the many she'd allowed to bloom on her face today. His heart skipped a beat, and he was thrilled that she was coming out of her shell for once. It was beautiful - _she_ was beautiful.

"You know," he told her, sitting on the edge beside her. "I will never, _never_ let you get that lost again. I promise. I'd do anything for you Raven."

"I know," Raven looked at him. "You're a great person Robin, and you care about your friends a lot - I've always admired you for that."

"Raven," he sighed, and placed his hand over hers, curling their fingers together. "I care about the Titans, they're my best friends, but I'm trying to tell you something here. I love you."

Raven blinked, surprised, taking in this information and finally labeling the warm, comforting feeling she'd been sensing from him for months. Robin smiled at her, and before she could protest, he leaned forward and placed a small, chaste kiss on her lips.

"I know that you're a hero Rae," he whispered. "But I'm going to be _your_ hero."

And he stood up, walking away and leaving Raven to bask in the sunset glow.

* * *

><p>Cyborg was walking towards his room after losing a bet and being forced to eat some of Beast Boy's tofu bacon. He was therefore surprised when he saw Robin coming calmly down the stairs from the roof, pause and let out a great WHOOP! punching the air as he went.<p>

Cyborg rubbed his eyes in astonishment, but when he looked back up, his leader was no where to be seen. He scowled at himself.

"Beast Boy and his stupid tofu bacon..."


End file.
